Naruto: Samurai Tales
by EikoWhirpool
Summary: Konoha is no longer the rich and prosperous village that was known for its brave soldiers and its fair leaders. Naruto, the son of a deceased samurai, is determined to follow his father's steps and become a great soldier. In the meantime, he works for Jiraiya, the perverted inn owner. However, one day, Naruto meets someone who will revolutionise his world... (A SasuNaru fic)
1. The encounter

He woke up when he started feeling the intensity of the sun right through his eye lids. He smiled. It had been ages since he'd last slept so well. It probably had a lot to do with the amount of exercise he had done the day before. That stupid Prince. What a jerk. He had never met someone as rude and inconsiderate. Quickly, he stood up and started dressing up eagerly. He let go of a small, excited chuckle. He couldn't wait to show that pale-faced asshole what he was capable of.

The boy rushed down the stairs without even stopping to have something to eat. He would have a big bowl of ramen for lunch, he thought. That should do the trick. As he sped through the entrance door of the inn he heard the old man's angry voice behind him.

'Naruto, you lazy brat! Where do you think you're going? You were supposed to clean the floors today!

'Sorry Ero-Sennin, no can do! I have to be somewhere today, it's really important!'

Damn that Jiraiya. He treated him like a slave. The blond haired boy had to work for him all day while he spent the day peeking on the female lodgers or writing more of those perverted books of his. Those stories that he had heard about Jiraiya the Great Samurai were probably no more than folktales. The only fights Naruto had ever seen the old man get into were the ones he consistently had with Granny Tsunade, the owner of the other inn in the city. Those two really had a weird relationship…

As he ran through the crowded street, Naruto couldn't help thinking about the unexpected set of events that had taken place the previous day.

* * *

'Naruto, would you please take these suitcases upstairs while I show these charming ladies around?' The pervy sage was being his usual self that morning. The blond haired boy sighed, tired, and did as he was told. As always, he was being treated like a nobody. He picked up the suitcases and headed for the stairs. As he was leaving, however, he felt someone catching hold of one of his wrists. He turned around and was soon surrounded by a group of three girls, all of them stroking the young boy's silky blond hair and tanned, olive skin. At this, Naruto couldn't help but blush.

'Oh! Look at his cheeks, he's blushing!' said one of the girls.

'Kawaii!' the rest of them replied in unison.

'Girls, girls, please let me introduce you to Naruto. This boy's almost like my own son. He has no parents, you see, but his father left him to me before passing away and ever since then I've taken care of the boy just as if he were my own flesh and bone. Right Naruto-_kun_?' The old man asked, chuckling proudly.

Naruto shivered at the use of the honorific. That was definitely not something Jiraiya and him used.

'Wow, but look at those muscles he has!' the first girl exclaimed 'Are you training to become a soldier?'

At this, Naruto lowered his gaze. His expression changed. When he spoke, his voice sounded much more serious. 'Not yet' he declared, 'but I will surely become one someday! I will show everybody around here that I am capable of doing big things! That'll force them to respect me!' he exclaimed, passionately.

'Well, I'm afraid you've touched his soft spot right there young lady. You see, our Naruto has always wanted to do something great with his life. And ever since I told him that his father once worked for the Emperor as a soldier, becoming one has been his one and only dream. It's nonsense, of course but…' Jiraiya couldn't finish his sentence.

'OH SHUT UP WILL YOU? You don't know how far I am willing to go' Naruto interrupted.

'Determinism is just so attractive in a man…' The young lady stated. 'Listen, my name is Sayuri, and these are my friends Tomoko and Ayane. We've just arrived here from the country side, and we would like someone to show us around. Would you like to be that person, by any chance?'

There was a short pause. Jiraiya's face was now one of true disappointment. Naruto smiled. This was revenge for all those stupid chores the old man made him do.

'Of course, why not?' he accepted, cheekily.

'You don't mind, don't you, Jiraiya-sama?' Sayuri asked, sweetly. The perverted geezer couldn't say otherwise.

* * *

'Well, well, your Majesty, you know why I am here, I suppose', the masked man asked. The Prince observed him with contempt. He refused to trust anybody who wouldn't show his whole face.

'Ne, ne your Majesty, I didn't come here to joke around. Your father is paying me a lot of money to train you in the art of war, but you don't seem to want to collaborate with me'

The black haired boy shrugged. If the masked man thought he would get a reaction out of him, he was wrong. He was already used to silence. The masked man sighed, resigned.

'Well. First thing's first, right? My name is Hatake Kakashi. From now on, you can call me Sensei.'

'Do I need to introduce myself too?' The pale faced boy replied, sarcastically.

'Ha ha! Sharp. Very sharp indeed. Let's see what we can make out of that, shall we? Get ready. We're going out.'

* * *

'And that weird building to your left is the Temple of Goddess Inari-sama. Think she's supposed to be in charge of rice and fertility but I'm not sure. Anyhow, moving on…' It was a hot summer morning in Konoha. People gathered around the water fountains and the fruit stalls, searching for something refreshing. The streets were full of beggars. This wasn't new. It had been like this since Naruto was a kid and the boy had never really known any different. He led the group of girls into the town square. The imposing Imperial Castle could be seen from beyond.

The atmosphere was hectic. The sounds of babies crying and animals groaning were the soundtrack of the city center. Everything was the same as usual. Or was it?

The olive skinned boy stopped immediately as he caught sight of the imperial carriage advancing through the narrow street. His eyes widened. This was a weird sight. Emperors didn't just simply decide to have a stroll around their domains!

People frantically made space for the royal carriage. Stallholders got hold of their products hurriedly and mothers grabbed their children by their hand and cleared out a space for whichever member of the royal family happened to be inside the vehicle.

Naruto watched in amazement as two figures slowly descended from the carriage - first a tall man with long, pointed white hair and a masked face, then a smaller figure, with ebony black hair and translucent, delicate skin. Naruto could identify the smaller figure as the Imperial Prince. Ever since he had hit puberty, he had become ever so popular among the girls. Naruto's neighbour, Sakura, was one of the girls who were absolutely crazy for him. Nobody had actually since him in person up until now though. They had only been able to see him through paintings distributed by the Imperial family. Seeing him in person however was an entirely different thing.

The group of girls behind Naruto shrieked in admiration. The boy cringed in disgust. How could they possibly be in love with someone that was so different from them? Naruto couldn't understand.

Suddenly, the masked man spoke. His passive voice resonated through the now silent street. 'Well, this is it. These are the people you will need to protect once you become Emperor.' The Prince's expression didn't change in the slightest. Naruto shivered. He had the expression of someone that's lost all hope. His eyes were somber and cloudy, and his gaze was fixed on something invisible.

The masked man sighed. 'I feared this would happen. Well then. I can't think of anything else that would get you going, your Majesty. My job here is done. I will have to tell your father he will need to hire another trainer for his son.'

Enough was enough. The blond boy couldn't take this any longer. Without even thinking about it (this was something he seldom did) he jumped into the circle that had been provided for the Imperial Carriage.

'Hey you!'

The people gasped in surprise as the blond haired boy stretched his index finger to point at the Prince. The latter didn't even look at him in the eye. Instead, he smeared and turned around, starting to walk towards the carriage.

'Oh don't you dare walk away from me! Just because you're the Prince or whatever, doesn't mean you can afford to treat your people like this!' At this point, Naruto had completely lost his temper. Injustice was something that affected him very deeply, and the Prince was about to discover this.

'Chotto matte Naruto-kun'

'Forgive Naruto, your Majesty, he's just this foul-mouthed orphan…'

'Yes, he didn't mean what he was saying…'

The blond haired boy ignored the words of advice coming from the rest of the villagers.

'Just because you're the Prince doesn't mean you can go around dismissing everybody else! Ma taku… I'll show you not to ignore me! One day your sorry life will depend on me!'

There was a long, tense silence. The type of silence that proceeds an important moment. And suddenly, the Prince spoke for the first time in a very long while.

'Those surely are big words for a looser like you' The Prince's words were heavier that any metal. They stroke Naruto right in the heart. This wasn't going to end like this.

'Well I'm telling you your life will one day depend on me!' Naruto screamed. His expression was so determined the Prince couldn't help but to raise an eyebrow in surprise. This boy surely did believe in himself. The royal smiled.

'Hmm. So are you telling me that if we were to fight right now, you would win?' He asked the orphan.

'Of course I would, you teme!' The reply came in less than a second.

'There, there, Prince Sasuke, this is neither the place or the time for this…' Kakashi-sensei had butted in at just the right time. 'But..' the teacher added mysteriously 'If you want to prove this passionate young man wrong, I suggest we take him to the castle and you fight there'.

* * *

One could have cut the atmosphere in the carriage with a knife. Silence took hold of the air as soon as the vehicle started moving towards the castle. Naruto couldn't believe what had just happened. He was as nervous as he'd ever been. He kept twitching his fingers and his toes uncontrollably. He could feel the energy flowing through his body. He smiled.

Hatake Kakashi was sitting in between the two boys. He had a book within his hands. Naruto turned his head slowly to the right, wanting to read its title.

'Icha Icha Par…' he read, mentally.

He didn't manage to finish. He turned his head right back as soon as he caught sight of the Prince's eyes, staring right at him. Naruto wondered how this boy really was. There was just something about him which made Naruto feel… as though it hadn't always been this way for him.

Then again, this boy had led a completely different life. He had had everything he could have hoped for and more, while Naruto had had to make do with a bossy and perverted old geezer and a whole bunch of soldier stories about men who went to war and never came back and women who had been killed by their own babies. The blond boy clenched his fists. He was going to show that arrogant Prince what a poor village boy could do!

Soon enough the carriage stopped moving. 'Well boys', said the masked man as he closed his book with his right hand. 'This is when the fun starts'.


	2. The battle

The characteristic sound of the cicadas was the only noise that could be heard. The heat was intense, even asphyxiating. Naruto was sweating. He could barely stay still. The sun's rays were reflecting on the surface of the katana he was holding. The blond haired boy felt powerful with it, although it was so heavy he could barely hold it. He was surprised that the masked man had given them real swords to fight with. It was obvious that he was serious. Naruto was starting to believe this man had no scruples whatsoever. This was going to be interesting.

The Imperial Prince stood a few metres away from him. The tip of his sword was still leaning on the surface of the ground. His posture was relaxed and he was smiling. Naruto was disgusted. He was definitely going to rub that smile off his pretty face…

'Are you having second thoughts about this?' The Prince asked, mockingly. 'This is your last chance to withdraw, looser'

'Screw you! Shut up and let's just start this!' Naruto was really getting angry now. There was just something about his face that made him want to knock him out. It was that half-smile… Naruto couldn't stand fake smiles.

'Right. Let's not delay this any further. The duel will start once I say…'

The dark haired boy didn't even let his sensei finish his sentence. He swiftly got hold of his sword and sprinted towards the blond boy's direction. Naruto barely dodged the first hit. It was obvious that this was not the first time the Prince picked up a sword. However, Naruto was determined not to be a weak opponent. After all, he had managed to convince Jiraiya to teach him a few basic sword techniques. He hurriedly boosted his sword upwards and used it to dodge another hit. The Prince was fast too. He quickly turned around and hit Naruto on the side of his hip. The village boy could feel the heat of the blood slowly pouring down his wound. But he felt no pain. He had too much adrenaline flowing through his body for that.

'Are you finished yet?' Naruto heard the Prince say.

'Save your energy', he replied.

Naruto pulled his katana forward and almost hit the Prince's shoulder. A few strands of silky black hair were carried away by the wind. The Prince's response was quick. He hit Naruto in the stomach with the side of his sword. The blond boy dropped to the ground.

'So this was all you could do, looser… you sure have a big mouth then, talking about defeating me and then coming up with _this_.' The Prince chuckled and turned away. However, just as he was doing so, he felt the cold tip of a katana pressing the back of his neck. His pupils dilated as he let go of a gasp.

'Lesson one: never turn your back on the enemy'

The blond boy had left a trail of crimson blood on the ground as he had silently approached the Prince's neck. Proudly, he smeared. 'Who's the looser now?'

'Well, I think it's time we stopped boys, don't you think?'

* * *

Naruto woke up in a small, unfamiliar room. His vision was blurred and he couldn't remember how he'd gotten there. Slowly, he pulled himself upwards and tried to speak.

'Where? How? How did I…?' was all he could manage.

'You fainted, idiot.' The sound came from the left hand side of the bed in which the blond boy was lying. Naruto immediately recognised that mocking tone. He grinned.

'_Now _I remember. I defeated you in battle, you jerk!'

'What do you mean 'defeat'? Who was almost killed this morning, looser?'

'Hey boys, let's not argue about this anymore shall, we?' The masked man interrupted. 'Anyways, Naruto's wounds are just superficial. He'll be up and about in no time'.

'Great! I'll recover so that we can fight again! And this time I'll kick your sorry ass!' The village boy was already excited again.

'Stop bragging if you have zero abilities you idiot!' The Prince couldn't understand how someone could be so sure of himself.

'Well', the masked man interrupted the young boys again, 'I'm glad that you're so full of energy boy, because I've got big plans for you two.'

'What do you mean, 'big plans'? ' The Prince asked, arrogantly.

'I mean…' – the master took a deep breath – 'That from tomorrow onwards you two will be training together'

'_What?' _Both boys were equally amazed.

'I'm totally serious boys. I really think you complement each other very well and it is quite frankly very entertaining to see you guys interact…' the masked man chuckled. 'Sasuke, you might think that you've got nothing to learn, but really, it's quite the opposite. You're fast, and you can control you sword fairly well. It seems you received some lessons from your brother…'

Sasuke clutched his fists and averted the masked man's gaze.

'But, your technique needs a lot of improvement and you need to learn not to underestimate your enemy…' the masked man continued. 'And you Naruto...' the teacher now looked at the blond boy lying in the bed below him 'You are not confident while using your katana. You're surprisingly fast, but your movements could be a hundred times faster if you just learned to control your sword better. Your determination is also quite astonishing, and it can sometimes play in your favour… however, you tend to underestimate your enemy, and that can also be fatal in battle.'

'I understand. So… when do I start?' Naruto couldn't wait to start his training.

'How about tomorrow?' Kakashi suggested.

'Tomorrow? Already?' The village boy couldn't believe it.

'Yes, why not. There's really no point in wasting time and I honestly have nothing else to do…' The teacher's smile could be seen through his mask.

Naruto sighed. His teacher was really a strange man, but he had the feeling this was the start of a new chapter in his life. An exciting chapter which would help him become the skillful samurai that he'd always wished to become. A great samurai, like his father.

'So, Sasuke, are you ok with this?' The masked man asked.

The Prince grunted and then looked at Naruto directly in the eye.

'You better not be a waste of my time, looser', was what he finally said.

'Just wait and see. I have so much more to give!' Naruto replied, enthusiastically.

The Prince gave him one of his mysterious, half-smiles.

'Well, it's settled then. Naruto, I will be waiting for you at the entrance of the castle tomorrow at eight o'clock. Don't be late!'

'Understood, _sensei!' _


	3. Bonds

**Author's Note: **

Hi! It's me, Eiko-chan! Before you read this third chapter, I just wanted to warn some people about a few things. Recently, I've been getting messages from people asking what was the pairing in my story. I have also gotten reviews from people who claim NOT to like reading 'boy×boy' fanfics... Well then, I'm sorry to disappoint you (I thought I had made this clear enough, but it turns out I didn't, Im really sorry about this) but the main couple in my fic is of course the one composed of our dear Sasuke and Naruto. So basically it's a boy×boy type of fic.

Then again, I wouldn't consider this 'proper' yaoi, as no 'explicit' (lemon) scenes will take place. Also, I put a lot of effort into writing this (meaning its not only about love). There is obviously quite a complicated plot behind this and I hope that if you are reading this you will be doing so because of the love story AND (possibly more importantly) because of the plot.

Having said this, please enjoy this chapter! :)

* * *

All of that had happened yesterday. Naruto could still barely believe that such an opportunity had arisen in such a short amount of time. He, that was just a poor village orphan, was now going to train as a soldier in the Imperial Castle, with the Emperor's youngest son…

An image of the Prince's face appeared before his eyes, his black hair waving in the wind and his mouth fixed in that scornful smile. Naruto realised how little he knew about this mysterious boy. Then again, the Prince knew little about the blond haired boy too. Surely, Naruto thought, this would change from now on.

The boy listened to the bells ringing in the distance. It was already eight o'clock. 'Wait a minute', Naruto thought, 'It's already eight o'clock, damn it!' Perfect, he thought. He was going to be late on his first day. He definitively would cause a good impression…

The orphan increased his speed as he sprinted through the town square, trying not to stumble upon the busy crowds of people. As he was running, he caught sight of a long mane of pink hair through the corner of his eye. Naruto gulped and turned around, intending to avoid the person that he knew was hiding behind that hair. 'Not today', the boy thought, 'I can't let her see me today.'

'NARUTO!' The girl's strong and imposing voice was heard. She was only a few meters behind the orphan. 'DON'T RUN AWAY FROM ME IDIOT!', she shouted again, this time sounding really annoyed. Naruto shivered. He had to find a way of losing sight of the girl. After all, the boy had known Sakura for many years and he was perfectly aware of how much she hated to be ignored. If she caught hold of him, things would get pretty serious…

Besides, there was no way he could tell Sakura where he was heading. He hadn't been told to hide the fact that he would be training with the Prince but Naruto suspected that it wouldn't be too convenient if he didn't do so. The agreement with the Prince was something that no one else should know. Something between the two of them only. Well, and the masked man too, of course.

He turned around and started sprinting in the opposite direction, away from the Imperial Castle. Sakura's voice could still be heard in the distance, but it was now fainter than before. Just in case, Naruto continued running. 'I'm going to be _really_ late now', he thought, regretfully.

Suddenly, the boy felt someone's hand grabbing him by the shoulder. Shocked, he tried to scream, but another hand was quickly placed on top of his mouth. He was dragged into an alleyway and held firmly. Naruto tried to fight, but this person's grip was surprisingly impossible to defeat. After a few seconds, the person spoke right into the blond haired boy's ear.

'You're late'

Naruto sighed in relief. 'Damn it Kakashi-sensei, you _really_ scared me there!', he blurted out, angrily.

The masked man chuckled. 'Well' he said 'That's what you get for being late and breaking your promise'

Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed, resigned. However, he soon became aware of something. 'Wait a minute, Kakashi-sensei', he muttered. 'If _ I'm_ late, surely _you're _late too, aren't you?'

The teacher took his hand to his head and smiled, embarrassed. 'Well, well, you got me there boy' he admitted, 'let's just hope that his Royal Highness is not too disappointed, shall we?' Naruto sighed.

* * *

'You're late.' Sasuke's voice sounded really irritated. The Prince was wearing a dark blue **kinagashi***, loosely tied around his waist. His bare chest could be seen from below the kimono, that was worn out and even torn in some places. Naruto was surprised by the Prince's choice of dress. After all, it wasn't suitable for a Royal to be wearing peasant's clothes.

'I'm really sorry, your Majesty, it just so happens that we got lost on the path of life', Kakashi-sensei declared, chuckling. An awkward silence ensued. After a while, Naruto's remark broke the quietude.

'Well, never mind that, what's important is that now I'm here and ready to kick your ass!' he declared, proudly.

The Prince grunted, mockingly. 'I thought you would say something like that. You never learn, don't you?'

'And you think you know it all, don't you?' the village boy replied back.

'You know what _I_ think?' The masked man butted in. 'I think we shouldn't waste any more time. Let's get started, shall we?'

* * *

Hatake Kakashi had taken his pupils to the forest surrounding the royal residency. The atmosphere was calm and the flow of water from the stream behind them was somehow soothing. Naruto and Prince Sasuke were sitting opposite to each other, on top of a pile of rocks, both facing their sensei, who hadn't yet spoken but who looked as if he would soon announce something important.

'First thing's first', he said, finally. 'If you're going to fight alongside each other, it's essential that you get to know each other considerably well.' Naruto turned his head to look at Sasuke, who was clenching his fists and looked quite nervous. The village boy wondered why this was so.

'So, it's time for you to introduce yourselves.' The teacher continued. 'You don't need to say too much; just your name, what you like, what you dislike, and what you want to achieve. It doesn't sound too complicated, doesn't it? Naruto, why don't you go first?'

Naruto's stomach tightened when he heard his name. He stood up in a flash and cleared his throat. 'My name' he said, 'is Uzumaki Naruto. I absolutely love ramen and samurai stories and I hate people who think they are better than anybody else. Right now, I'm a nobody, but in the future I'll become a great samurai and I will do important things. So remember my name!'

The masked man's eyes had widened considerably when he'd heard the boy's name. He examined the blond haired boy more closely. And he saw it. The teacher had thought that the boy's face seemed familiar, but he had quickly dismissed the thought, thinking it was just a coincidence. He bit his lip. He simply couldn't believe that this was true.

'Sorry' he said 'Could you… well… what was your name again?'

Naruto's jaw dropped. The _cheek_ of this man, forgetting his name just after what he had said! Next to him, Sasuke was chuckling. The village boy was furious. The masked man had humiliated him and now this stupid prince was… laughing? Come to think about it, this was the first time Naruto had seen Sasuke laugh properly. Sure, he was laughing _at _him and not _with _him, but still…

The blond haired boy turned to face his teacher, furious. '_Uzumaki Naruto_. That's my name! So don't you dare forget it again!' he declared, infuriatedly.

The teacher waved his hands in front of him, apologetically. 'Ne, Naruto don't get mad, it's just that I have a terrible memory, that's all…'

Naruto grunted and sat down again, mumbling. Hatake Kakashi now turned to his other student. 'Your turn, Prince Sasuke', he said.

'You don't need to call me like that'. The Prince spoke slowly and quietly. He was almost whispering. 'Just Sasuke will do', he declared. Again, Naruto was surprised by the boy's strange attitude. At the beginning, he'd hated the pale faced boy, but now… He didn't know what do think about him anymore.

Unlike the orphan, Sasuke didn't stand up to speak. 'I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I hate many things, and I don't particularly like anything. As for my objectives, I only have one. I want to become stronger - much stronger, in fact- than a certain someone… So that I can defeat him once and for all…'

Again, silence took hold of the atmosphere. Puzzled, Naruto was totally speechless. He cursed that boy for always being the centre of attention. However, he also couldn't help but feel that they were somehow… similar.

'Fine. It seems then that the matter is quite urgent for you two. Interesting.' The sensei stared at his two pupils and smiled. 'Let's get started then.'

* * *

'The concept is quite simple.' Kakashi-sensei's voice was calm and low, in harmony with the rest of the sounds of the forest. 'Both of you will be given a** bokken** **for this today. We don't want any more open wounds, do we boys?' The sensei smirked. 'Your eyes will be covered with a piece of cloth tightly tied around your heads. Obviously then, you won't be able to see anything.' The teacher paused to examine his students' reactions. Both of them were looking at him with such focused expressions on their faces… Evidently they were serious about this. 'So' he continued, 'The objective is blatantly simple. You have to find each another.'

'Eeeh?' Naruto didn't get it. Surely, they knew exactly where they were? What did the masked man mean by 'finding each other?'

'It's awfully simple Naruto' Hatake Kakashi tried to explain himself better. 'For you to defeat Sasuke in this exercise you will have to find him and subsequently touch him with your wooden katana. However, throughout the exercise Sasuke will also be trying to find _you _to touch you with _his _bokken too so…'

'Whoever manages to find and touch the other person first without them noticing their presence on time, wins. Easy enough.' Sasuke gave one of his half smiles. He definitively would not lose against the clumsy blond haired boy beside him.

'Exactly. I think it's all sorted now then. The swords and the pieces of cloth are just behind you, on top of those rocks', the sensei explained.

'_Smart ass…' _Naruto thought, as he observed the Prince walk towards where the cloths and the wooden swords that had been laid on some rocks by the stream. Hurriedly, he followed the pale faced boy and got hold of his own sword and cloth. He untangled the latter and prepared to adjust it around his face. Before doing so, however, he looked at his opponent once again. This boy… Naruto found him really irritating and yet… they were meant to be companions.

'Hey, Sasuke.' The village boy interrupted the Prince, who had kneeled down to examine his wooden sword. Uchiha Sasuke looked up, unimpressed. 'Let's give our best, shall we?' The orphan smiled broadly. The Prince raised one eyebrow, slightly surprised. Was this guy actually trying to make him feel better? But why?

'Of course, no cheating is allowed boys…' The masked man's voice distracted Sasuke from his thoughts. 'I will personally tie the cloths around your heads and whoever dares to take it off during the challenge…' – the teacher paused – 'will be beaten like a log until they can no longer beg for their sorry lives.' The white haired man said this with a sinister smile on his face. Naruto shivered.

* * *

This was a weird feeling, not being able to see anything. Whereas before Naruto had been enjoying the beautiful scenery and the vivid wild colours of the forest, now all he could see was just pitch black. The contrast was overwhelming. He felt powerless.

The orphan knew Sasuke was standing right in front of him, a few meters away. He wondered what the black haired boy's strategy would be. Did he have anything planned? Probably, Naruto thought. After all, the Prince was _that _kind of guy. On the other hand, himself… He was better at improvising.

_'Are you really going to do this, idiot?'_

Naruto gasped. The remark had surprised him. Who had said that anyway? Sasuke?

'You idiot, of course I'm going to do this!' he shouted back.

'What are you saying, dobe?' Sasuke's reply clearly reflected that he was confused by Naruto's outburst.

Naruto frowned. Hadn't the Prince said anything? The village boy could have sworn that it had been him… It _had _to be him. After all, who else would –

'So boys, let's just start this before our emotions take hold of us, shall we?' Kakashi-sensei spoke firmly, establishing his authority. 'This is a time when you should be thinking clearly and logically, and above all, paying attention to your surroundings. Just like in battle, today you won't know where your opponent is hiding. Good luck. You may begin.'

* * *

Naruto's first instinct was to run. In a flash, he had turned around and had started sprinting away from his opponent. Sasuke had followed him. The orphan had felt him. Right now, however, he had no idea of where the Prince was. He had lost him completely.

'Damn it...' Naruto thought. He wasn't at all sure of what he should do. Was he supposed to wait for Sasuke to find him? Or was it better to just look for the Prince himself?

The blond haired boy inhaled deeply and tried to concentrate. After all, Kakashi-sensei had said that he should analyse his surroundings. What could he hear? The most obvious sounds were those that one would expect to find in a forest. The mating songs of the birds, the water flowing in the stream, the wind…. Yes, the wind. It made the leaves in the trees rustle. Where did the rustling noise come from? Mainly from Naruto's right-hand side. Did that mean that the deepest part of the forest –the part with most trees – was the one on the right? The blond haired boy wasn't sure, but he at least had to try.

Haltingly, he turned right and started walking towards what he thought was the thickest side of the woods. There, he hoped he would find Sasuke.

'_And then what, you smart-ass? What are you going to do? You think you will find him first?'_

Naruto felt a twinge in his stomach. It was that bloodcurdling voice again. The boy took his hands to his head and squeezed it tight. He wanted to make it stop.

Taking a deep breath, he continued walking, trying hard not to make much noise. Again, however, he wasn't sure of what he would do once he got there. He hated Kakashi-sensei for making them do such bizarre things.

To his surprise, Naruto was scared. The village boy wondered why. At the end of the day, it wasn't like he was putting his life on the line or anything. Perhaps it was the fact that he simply couldn't see anything what really frightened him. After all, this did make Naruto feel really defenceless.

_'Behind you, you useless fool' _

Instantly, Naruto started running. He now was clearly hearing the sound of someone's footsteps on the grass. He cursed himself for not having paid enough attention. At this rate, he would be the one to lose… No, he just couldn't accept that. Naruto stretched his arms, desperately trying to touch something. Soon enough, his fingertips got in touch with a rough surface.

'A tree trunk', he thought, as he slowly felt his way around the tree.

Almost immediately, he felt his opponent walking past him. The blond boy remained completely still, his back resting on the trunk's surface. He held his breath for a few seconds. Then, he sighed in relief as soon as his enemy could no longer be heard.

_'Pathetic… Just give up already, will you?'_

'WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP?' Naruto couldn't take it anymore. Was he going crazy? Where these hallucinations? Why had he never heard them until now? He didn't understand what was happening to him.

The orphan heard the sound of a flock of birds hurriedly escaping from their hiding places within the trees. His heart skipped a beat and he gasped, horrified. He had revealed his position to the enemy with his screams. Now Sasuke was going to…

The sound of footsteps was soon heard once more. Naruto's temples were beating painfully. He knew he had to get out of there soon. Rapidly, he began to sprint away from the noise. He felt anguished and wished to escape but he didn't know where he was going. On top of that, he kept hearing this horrifying voice but he couldn't determine where it was coming from. The village boy had the impression though, that it was coming from… _within_ him?

Nevertheless, he didn't have time to stop and think about this. After all, Naruto knew that soon enough, Sasuke would be here to find him…

And suddenly, he felt it. His enemy was right there, right in front of him. Instantaneously, Naruto lifted his sword energetically and boosted it forwards. He was determined not to let his enemy's sword contact his skin first.

A sonorous thud was heard. Two hollow materials had met at the same time.

Naruto shivered as a wave of energy entered his body though his arms and gradually invaded his entire body. This, Naruto thought, was Sasuke's energy. The feeling was beyond description. In a matter of seconds, the village boy felt that he had gotten to know Sasuke better than throughout the past hours. The energy that he had transmitted was somehow so full of rage and self-contempt. Almost too much too handle. However, he refused to move. Not until this was finally over.

'Ha ha. For some reason I was kind of expecting this to happen.' The sensei's mocking tone broke the sacred silence. 'This was very amusing. Amusing indeed. Alright boys, you can withdraw your swords.'

* * *

The boys and their sensei were back at the castle. The sun had already hidden behind the mountains and it was getting dark. It was amazing how fast time had passed, Naruto thought.

All in all, this day had been extremely intense. The village boy was absolutely exhausted due to the physical and psychological strains his mind and body had had to endure throughout the day. To think that he would have to repeat this tomorrow was quite hard to believe. Even so, Naruto was definitively looking forward to it.

The blond discretely observed his training companion through the corner of his eye. His facial expression was, as usual, almost impossible to decipher. People always used to say that Naruto was like an open book; so easy to read. With Sasuke, however, this was certainly not the case. The orphan wondered if the Prince had felt the same things that he had felt, back at the forest. Had he felt how the village boy's energy had taken hold of his body? In that case, how had he reacted to this? Naruto felt like asking the Prince all of these questions. For some reason, however, he couldn't bring himself to do so.

'Well done boys.' As usual, Kakashi-sensei interrupted Naruto's thoughts. 'Today you did amazingly well. Of course, this is only the beginning but…' The sensei lifted his gaze and looked towards the horizon, dramatically. Naruto frowned. 'I think today you've learnt quite a lot about each other.'

Naruto's heart thumped. Did Kakashi-sensei actually know? The blond boy bit his lip. Well of course he knew. He must have known. After all, he was the one who planned it all, didn't he?

'But' the teacher spoke once again, 'I have one more surprise for you two.' From a brown leather bag, the masked man got out a bundle of what seemed to be…red ribbons? Naruto examined them closer. No, they weren't just ribbons. There was something else entwined with them. Several golden pieces of what seemed to be a metal. Iron, perhaps?

'What are these things?' Sasuke spoke casually.

'I'm glad you asked, Sasuke.' The masked man smiled through his mask. 'These are weights. They are designed to build up the muscles in your arms, so that you can handle any type of katana swiftly and masterfully.' The teacher then proceeded to roll up his sleeves. He indeed had two sets of weights attached to each forearm. Naruto raised his eyebrows in admiration. This teacher was really quite unpredictable. 'You should initially start wearing one set of weights on each arm, as they are indeed quite heavy, although they don't seem like it.'

'Do we have to wear it at all times?' The blond haired boy just had to ask.

'Precisely. In fact, I want to see you wearing them tomorrow, when you come to train.'

'No problem then!' Naruto had already recovered from that day's shock. Of course he still felt like he had to sort out many things. However, for now he just felt like relishing every minute of this brand new experience. He had decided that he would deal with all problems later on.

'Tomorrow at eight o'clock then?' The dark haired boy talked again. His teacher nodded. '_Don't_ be late again, will you?' He warned.

'Don't worry Sasuke, this time we really won't be!'

* * *

**Glossary:**

***Kinagashi- **informal male style of wearing a kimono, in which neither haori nor hakama are worn.

****Bokken- **Japanese wooden sword used for training.


	4. Discovery

**Author's Notes:**

So, here it is! The fourth chapter of this story :) Personally, I like this one quite a lot, as things get really intense (drama, drama).

Thank you so much for the follows/favourites/reviews guys! I really appreciate all of them very much ^^ I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters in this story, bla bla bla, they of course belong to the well-known mangaka Masashi Kishimoto (you know, the one who enjoys breaking fan-girl hearts? Well that one).

* * *

As he walked through the deserted dark streets of Konoha, Naruto realised just how much his body was aching. The boy didn't really understand why. At the end of the day, it was not like he wasn't used to physical exercise. Jiraiya sure kept him busy most of the time. He sighed. It probably had a lot to do with how tense he had been throughout the entire day.

Kakashi-sensei was really a strange guy… However, he somehow seemed to know what he was doing. His personality was a bit funny, but Naruto trusted him for some reason. The village boy was keen to discover more about the mysterious masked man. After all, if he was a samurai working for the Emperor, he might have… met his father, perhaps? A twinge of excitement ran through the boy's body. Could his father and his sensei have been…_friends?_

However, the orphan's excitement didn't last for long, as he soon reached the entrance of the inn. Nervous, the boy took a deep breath. He wondered how he would explain this whole situation to the old geezer.

'Well hello there Ero-sennin' Naruto practiced 'if you are wondering where I've been, you don't have to worry about it because in fact, I've been… I've been…'

'Go on, I want to listen to the rest of it.'

Naruto took a step back, shocked. Indeed, the entrance door of the inn was now wide open, and Jiraiya was leaning on it, staring at the village boy right into his eyes. Naruto gulped and avoided the old man's gaze.

'I'm waiting.'

The innkeeper's voice was solemn and frightening. Naruto couldn't remember the last time the old man had talked to him like that. Fair enough, the boy had just left without telling him where he was going and he had then spent the whole day away… Still, there was something in Jiraiya's voice that was… _different. _Was it concern? Naruto wondered. No, it was more than that. _Fear?_

'ARE YOU JUST GOING TO STAND THERE IN SILENCE AND PRETEND THAT YOU DIDN'T DISOBEY ME AT ALL?' The perverted geezer's face had gone red with anger and he had grabbed the boy by his kimono.

'IT'S ALRIGHT ERO-SENNIN I DID NOTHING WRONG, I SWEAR! NOW LET ME GO!' Naruto had said this with his eyes tightly closed. This was bad. The old geezer was absolutely furious. The orphan was very confused. Surely he hadn't done anything to offend Jiraiya that much?

Within a matter of seconds, the innkeeper dragged the blond haired boy into the building and slammed the door brusquely. He then let go of the boy's clothes and leaned on the walls with one hand. Naruto sighed in relief as he slid down to the floor. His heart was beating soundly in his chest and it was so loud that it distracted him from everything else.

'I want you to go to your room.' Jiraiya was almost whispering. 'We will talk about this tomorrow.'

Normally, Naruto would have tried to argue with his guardian. He would have protested and would have refused to obey him. However, at that moment the village boy realised this was not a good idea. He decided to shut up and swallow his bitter words… for now. With much effort, he stood up and started heading for the stairs.

A group of lodgers had come out of their rooms, awoken by the screams. They were now standing by the staircase, with confused expressions on their faces. Naruto tried to calm them down, although his face was so pale that he probably didn't seem too reassuring.

'There, there, nothing's happening…' the village boy explained. 'It's just that the pervert- I mean, Jiraiya, is quite angry at me, that's all…'

At this, Jiraiya pulled himself together and accompanied his clients upstairs, to their rooms. At last, Naruto was left alone. He sighed and took his hand to his chest. 'That was intense.' he thought. His head was aching terribly. 'I need to lie down.'

Nevertheless, just as he was heading towards his bedroom tiredly, he heard a single thud coming from behind him. Someone was knocking on the door. Naruto frowned suspiciously. Who could it be? It was already very late.

Reluctantly, he approached the entrance door one more time. Indeed, what he saw once he opened it left him speechless.

* * *

'Ka-Kakashi-sensei?' The blond haired boy couldn't believe his eyes. 'Just what are you doing here?'

The masked man smiled and tilted his head. 'Well' he declared 'I came to see the innkeeper. Is he here by any chance?'

Naruto opened his mouth, but he words simply didn't come out. He wondered why everything seemed to be happening on that day.

'What are you doing here?'

Jiraiya's voice came from behind the orphan. Again, the latter was scared by the old man's sudden interventions. Come to think about it, however, hadn't it seemed like the hermit and the sensei knew each other already?

'Long time no see, Jiraiya-sama. You haven't changed a bit, if I may say so.' Carefully, Hatake Kakashi entered the inn and closed the door behind him. It was now obvious that this was not the first time that both men had seen each other. Also, Kakashi had called the old geezer 'Jiraiya-_sama'? _'Just how many things has Jiraiya not talked to me about?' Naruto wondered, annoyed.

'We have to talk, Kakashi. Now.' Jiraiya's serious tone of voice greatly contrasted the masked man's carefree tone.

'No problem', was the sensei's response.

'Not here though.' Naruto frowned. Did the old man not want him to hear? Surely he deserved an explanation too?

'As you wish, Jiraiya-sama. Let's go outside then.' With this, the teacher opened the door and walked out into the open, encouraging the older man to follow him. Hastily, the innkeeper advanced a few steps. Before leaving, he turned back and stared at his protégé once again.

'I want you to wait in your room until I come back. Don't you _dare_ follow us. Understood?' The blond haired boy nodded. 'Good.' After this, he closed the door and left.

* * *

Both men had walked in silence for a while until they had reached a clearing outside the city centre. Here they hoped they wouldn't be disturbed. The fresh summer wind was shaking the grass, which smelled of peppermint. The crickets were singing in the background. Jiraiya the innkeeper observed the man in front of him with suspicion. He grunted. He had been hoping this day would never come.

'What do you want?' he snapped.

'I'm hurt, Jiraiya-sama.' The masked man's gaze was fixed in the horizon. 'I can't believe you didn't tell me about him…'

'You want to know why I didn't tell you about the kid?' Kakashi turned his head and looked at his master in surprise. 'I didn't tell you because it's none of your business!'

'How can you say that master?' The younger man's eyes were sad. 'The boy's father was my sensei! Why didn't he tell me that his wife was pregnant? Why did he have to hide it from me?'

'Because it's something no one else was supposed to know!' The old man's screams were desperate. 'Something between Minato and his wife!'

'And why is it that you knew it too then?' Naruto's sensei still didn't understand.

'BECAUSE SOMEONE HAD TO TAKE CARE OF THE DAMN KID WHEN HIS PARENTS PASSED AWAY, THAT'S WHY!' The master bit his lip. He had to control himself.

'So he knew then.' Kakashi's face was one of true realisation. 'Minato knew he would die.'

Jiraiya closed his eyes and tried to repress the flood of unwelcomed memories. 'He didn't know for sure' he said, finally. 'He just thought there was a possibility that he could.'

'And what about Kushina? I feel there is something about her that you aren't telling me.' The masked man's words hung in the air for a few seconds.

'There are some things that are meant to be kept hidden' was the old man's answer. His eyes were still tightly closed.

'I will sooner or later figure it out, master. However, even if you don't want to tell me about it, you will have to tell Naruto. He ought to know, don't you think? It's his life, after all.' The young samurai had spoken as casually as ever. This greatly irritated his master.

'REALLY? SO THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK KAKASHI? FINE, TELL ME THEN, HOW MUCH DO YOU REALLY KNOW ABOUT THAT KID? HUH? DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE YOU KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR HIM? I'VE LIVED WITH HIM FOR THE PAST SIXTEEN YEARS FOR GOD'S SAKE!' The innkeeper's gestures again seemed desperate.

'So are you saying that you never meant to tell him?' Kakashi stared at his master accusingly.

'I _am_ going to tell him _some day…_but he's still too young to handle it! You see, Kakashi, there is much more to this story that what you may think! The secrets that are kept away from him could eventually destroy him! It's _normal _that I'm dead scared of telling him!' The old man looked as if he was just about to cry.

'I've been training with the boy, Jiraiya-sama. I've seen him fight and I can tell you, he has a talent. Minato's talent. I could make so much out of him, I swear… but he has to know the truth about himself first in order to continue with his training. He needs to be at peace with himself.' The young man tilted his head upwards and stared at the sky, immersed in thought.

'I want you to stop seeing Naruto, Kakashi.' Jiraiya spoke with authority. 'He just cannot become a soldier. I will not allow it.'

'You can't do this Jiraiya.' The sensei spoke pleadingly. 'It's selfish. You can't pretend to control his life in such a way! The boy has dreams! And he has the potential and the strong will needed to –'

'To do _what? _To change this world? To make it a better place? Nonsense. I don't believe in that anymore. This world is rotten. And Naruto is not an average kid. He could unintentionally be extremely dangerous…' The hermit cursed himself. He had said too much.

Kakashi took a few steps forwards, approaching his master. 'It's the nine-tailed fox, isn't it? This boy is somehow related to the fox.'

Jiraiya bit his lip so hard that it started bleeding. The taste of blood invaded his mouth. He had been keeping this secret for so many years and yet today… everything could go terribly wrong if he wasn't careful.

'LOOK, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GOT IN TOUCH WITH NARUTO, BUT I SIMPLY FORBID YOU TO SEE HIM AGAIN. YOU DON'T KNOW HOW DANGEROUS HE CAN BE IF HE IS PUT UNDER PRESSURE BY YOUR TRAINING! IN FACT, YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE KID AT ALL! SO RIGHT NOW THE BEST YOU CAN DO IS JUST LEAVE AND – '

The old innkeeper stopped screaming as soon as he became aware of the fact that the masked man was no longer listening to what he was saying. Instead, the young man's shocked gaze seemed to be focused on something which was seemingly a few meters..._behind his master?_

'Jiraiya, what the hell is this?'

Naruto's voice sounded frail and broken. Tears were running down his cheeks and he was clutching his fists. Suddenly, he turned around and started running away from the clearing and the two men.

'Damn it Naruto! Wait! Please let me explain!' Jiraiya screamed across the distance. When he could see that the boy wouldn't just wait for him, he began to run towards him, screaming his name again and again.

Soon enough, the masked man was left alone in the dark.


	5. Promises

**Author's Note:** So, here is the chapter you were all waiting for... (at least the fangirls) The first 'real' SasuNaru moment! 3 I'm very excited to see if you guys will like it or not :S (Let's hope you do)

Anyways, I'll let you read this chapter now (yes, I know I'm a drag, sorry).

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the characters in this story, they all belong to Masashi Kishimoto (insert funny joke here)

* * *

The boy was confused and scared. He didn't understand what was going on. Admittedly, he had never known too much about his past, but this… this was unbelievable. Jiraiya's words resonated inside the orphan's head. _'You don't know how dangerous he can be…'_ That's what the old man had told Naruto's sensei.

'I'm _dangerous?' _Naruto didn't want to believe that. He used his hands to wipe out the tears that were rolling down his cheeks. He was still running, determined to escape from everything and everybody. He didn't feel ready to talk about what had happened earlier on that day. He just couldn't face Jiraiya… Not now.

But he was tired. Exhausted in fact. The bones in his legs ached every time his feet hit the floor. Suddenly, he felt a twinge of pain coming from the side of his hip. He remembered how Sasuke had pierced his skin with his katana the previous day. _'I'm a damn mess_' Naruto thought, annoyed.

Behind him, the blond haired boy could hear his guardian's steps. The old man was still chasing him. Every time he heard Jiraiya call out his name Naruto's heart skipped a beat. The boy felt nauseous. He really needed to stop and rest… However, he didn't allow himself to do so. _'I can't stop, I can't stop, I just cannot stop!' _He repeated this sentence to himself like a mantra.

Nevertheless, it was useless. Soon enough, his knees began to wobble helplessly and his vision became blurry. As he fell to the ground, the boy caught sight of the Imperial Castle, which stood gloriously in the distance. Afterwards, he passed out.

* * *

The masked man sighed from his place at the top of a tree. It was already eight o'clock in the morning. Below him, a young, black haired boy was practicing his sword techniques. Again and again, the boy hit the air with his sword, each time employing a different movement. His dark eyes were fixed on his imaginary opponent.

Hatake Kakashi felt quite uneasy. Why was it that he was always the one in charge of delivering the bad news? He hated these types of situations.

'I know you are there, Kakashi. You can come down already.' The Prince had abandoned his training and was now looking upwards, directly into his sensei's eyes. The teacher chuckled nervously as he began to climb down the tree. The Prince didn't take his eyes off the masked man. He suspected there was something strange going on.

'Where is the idiot?' Sasuke asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Kakashi sighed once again. The young Uchiha was such a 'straight-to-the-point' kind of person...

'Well' the teacher exclaimed, avoiding his pupil's accusatory gaze, 'I guess it can't be helped. I have to tell you the truth. Naruto…will not be joining us anymore.'

Silence ensued. Sasuke held onto his sword tighter. It took a while for him to process this new information. He didn't understand. That blond idiot had seemed so excited and sure of himself… He was so keen about this whole thing… Even when he had been wounded he had insisted on coming the next day. And now he had dropped out. Just like that, without any previous notice. The Prince had so many questions to ask his sensei, but the words just wouldn't come out.

'Why?' In the end, this was all that the black haired boy managed to blurt out.

The older man took a while to answer. He wasn't really sure of what he could tell the boy in front of him. In the end, he decided not to compromise himself. 'I'm not sure' he declared, 'Naruto didn't say anything.'

At this, the young prince frowned. The wrinkles on his forehead awarded him a fiercer look. 'Where does he live?' he asked, his usually expressionless face now clearly angry.

Kakashi's eyes widened. How amusing. He hadn't expected the boy to react in such a way. He wondered if he should let him play a role in this. On the one hand, the Prince would perhaps only complicate things further… On the other hand, however, Sasuke would most probably find out where Naruto lived by himself if he didn't tell him now.

'He lives in the best inn in the city. It's not very far away actually… Why do you want to know?' The masked man pretended he hadn't foreseen the young prince's intentions.

Without even answering Kakashi's question, Sasuke turned around and started heading towards the royal residency. His sensei tilted his head, fascinated by his pupil's sudden decisiveness. 'Where do you think you're going?' he asked the pale faced boy, again pretending not to know the young boy's real intentions.

The pale faced boy again didn't answer. Instead, he raised his hand as he was walking away and declared: 'I'm bringing that asshole back.'

Kakashi thought about stopping his student before it was too late. He shrugged. He supposed that would simply be too troublesome. And of course, much less interesting.

* * *

The Prince walked through the busy streets of Konoha hurriedly. The city noise was something which startled him. After all, he wasn't used to being around big numbers of people. The temperature was unusually high, even for the summer. The young Uchiha protected his face from the sun rays by wearing a worn out piece of brown cloth over his head. At the same time, this cloth was meant to protect his secret identity, although most of these people had probably never seen a member of the Royal Family in their lives. Also, the Prince was sporting his usual **kinagashi***, which was certainly not a piece of clothing that would immediately be associated with an Imperial Prince.

The boy's throat was tight and he felt frustrated. Why on Earth was he taking this so personally? It wasn't like this was the first time someone had let him down… So then, why go after the idiot? The Prince had never done something so irrational. He thought about it for a moment. Why? Why was this boy different from, say, his father or his brother? They had let him down too, right? His father, swearing he would protect the nation and then being seduced by power and wealth, and his brother, making him believe that he was different from their father and then behaving just like him… He was used to those kinds of feelings. Disappointment. Loneliness.

So then why? Why had he refused to accept that the same thing had happened this time? He clutched his fists, overwhelmed by the rush of contradictory feelings. All of a sudden, he remembered the conversation he had had with the blond boy the day before, just before they had started the blind-folded exercise. _'Let's give our best, shall we?' _That was what that idiot had told him. After that, he had smiled. He had been trying to cheer him up, Sasuke was sure about that. Just how childish was he?

But perhaps that was what just why the Prince had found it so hard to believe that the village boy had decided to drop out. After all, the latter was just like a small child, so enthusiastic about the training, and so convinced that he would become a great samurai… Yes, that _had _to be the reason why he was so frustrated and confused. Someone like that didn't just drop out. Sasuke had to find out what had happened.

The problem was that he didn't really know where to find Naruto. According to Kakashi, the village boy lived in the best inn in the city. However, the young Prince had no idea of where that inn was located. He decided he would ask someone for directions. Indeed, he soon approached an old bearded man who was walking alongside an emaciated donkey. The donkey looked at Sasuke with its huge sad eyes, which seemed as though they were just about to pop out of their orbits. The young Uchiha shivered. However, he soon pulled himself together and, looking away from the animal, he asked the old man: 'Excuse me; I was wondering if you could help me get somewhere.'

There was an awkward silence. Seconds after, the old man burst into laughter, displaying his practically toothless grin. The Prince didn't understand what had been so funny about his question. Gradually, the old man's laughter came to an end. Once he had relaxed, he spoke in a really strong rural accent.

'Oh God boy… Thanks for that!' he said 'It had been a while since I'd laughed so hard… _'Excuse me'_ you say… _'I was wondering' _you say… so funny!'

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. There really were some curious people living in the city. However, now wasn't the time to socialise. He had to find the inn where Naruto lived.

'I'm glad that made you laugh mister…' the boy said, impatiently, 'however, I really need to get somewhere right now. And I would like your help, if that's possible.'

The old man giggled again. ' '_If that's possible' _you say… Priceless! But of course I can help you boy. Just ask old Kentaro! He knows everything about this damn city! I come from the countryside, you see, but I've lived here for the past thirty years! Can you imagine? _Thirty_ bloody years boy! How old are you? Thirteen?'

Sasuke huffed, annoyed. 'I'm actually sixteen sir' he declared 'and I really don't have time to talk now, so could you please tell me where I could find the best inn in the city?'

'The best inn?' The man took his hand to his chin enigmatically. 'I see… that's a hard question. It really depends, you see?'

Sasuke sighed. Why did everything have to be so complicated? 'What does it depend on? I don't understand' he muttered, irritated.

'Well, it depends on where you live. If you live in the eastern part of the city, you're probably going to say that Lady Tsunade's inn is the best one in Konoha. By the way, Lady Tsunade is not really a lady; she just makes people call her like that. She's really scary she is…' The old man took a deep breath and continued with his speech. 'If you live in the western part of Konoha, you will then surely say Jiraiya's inn is the best one. Jiraiya's a nice chap. A bit perverted, but then again, who isn't, at our age?' Kentaro the toothless man chuckled again.

The Prince decided this was going nowhere. He was definitely going to have to ask a more specific question. 'So, old man' he began, trying not to lose his temper, 'I will ask you another question. Have you ever seen a blond, blue-eyed boy of my age living in any of those inns? This particular boy I'm talking about is quite flamboyant and loud. He's also an idiot who believes in himself too much. Have you seen this boy, by any chance?'

The old man thought about it for a second. After a while, his eyes widened and he banged his right fist into his left palm. 'Aha! I know who you're talking about! It's that blond haired orphan who works for Jiraiya! What's his name? Naoki? Noboru? Nobuyuki? Meh, I'm terrible with names… Faces, that's what I'm good at!'

'It's Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto.' Sasuke face was now completely serious.

'Exactly! Naruto-kun! Bless him… He's a really nice kid, you know? In the future, he might inherit Jiraiya's inn. They're a good business, inns. Everybody needs to stay in one from time to time after all and –'

'Yes well, I would like you to tell me where I could find Jiraiya's inn, please' Sasuke interrupted. He really didn't want to waste any more time. He had to confront that idiot Naruto once and for all.

'No problem' the old bearded man said, as he patted his ill-looking donkey on the back. 'In fact, it's just three streets away from where we are now. You simply have to turn right when you get to the end of this street and then just continue walking in a straight line until you see the sign. Say hello to the perverted-geezer for me, okay?' Kentaro the old man pointed at the young prince with his index finger.

'I will, don't worry mister. Thank you for your help'. With this, Sasuke left the old man and his donkey, determined to find Naruto's home once and for all.

* * *

This had to be it. Sasuke raised his head and read the big, worn out sign that was hanging above him. 'The Great Samurai' it said. The Prince sneered. That idiot _had _to live in a place called like that.

The black haired boy lifted his hand and knocked on the door. He waited for a few seconds, tapping his right foot on the ground impatiently. From behind the door, he heard the voice of an aged man.

'I'm coming!' the voice said. The door remained closed. Sasuke knocked again.

'Yes, I'm _coming_!' The voice exclaimed again, this time sounding more irritated.

Soon after, the entryway was opened energetically by an old, white haired man who was wearing a plain red gown. The young Uchiha noticed he had big bags under his eyes. His confused expression reflected his disconcert.

'Welcome to _'The Great Samurai'_. I'm Jiraiya, the innkeeper. Can I help you?' The old man asked, suspiciously. His eyes were busy looking for any luggage that this boy might have brought with him.

'I don't have any luggage.' The Prince had read the old man's mind. 'In fact I'm not here to stay. I just want to speak with someone who lives here, that's all.'

The innkeeper's expression changed. He frowned and looked at the young prince directly into his eyes. 'Who are you?' he inquired, analysing the young boy's face carefully.

'I'm…' The prince was not sure of what he was for the blond haired boy. 'I'm Naruto's… rival!' He smiled. Yes, that was what he was. So that air-headed bastard couldn't drop out yet! Not until the Prince gave him his permission to do so at least!

'Well I'm sorry, but Naruto is not feeling well right now. You must leave.' The old innkeeper proceeded to close the door once again.

However, Sasuke was still not ready to give up. In a flash, he leaned his hands on the door and pushed hardly, managing to catch the old proprietor unprepared. Soon, he was inside the building, trying to figure out where he should go to find his rival. Almost immediately, he caught sight of the narrow wooden staircase in front of him, and he began running towards it. Nevertheless, he was caught before he could even climb a single step. Furious, the Prince tried to free himself in every possible way, kicking the old man and hitting him with his fists desperately. Sasuke even tried _biting _the older man's arms, but this was also useless. The young Uchiha was furious. How dare did this geezer not let him talk to Naruto!? How dare did he grab the black haired boy in such a way?

'NARUTO! NARUTO ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME? I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!' The Prince shouted, hoping his screams would alert the blond haired boy of his presence.

'YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE LIKE THIS YOU ASS-' Sasuke's mouth was covered before he could finish his sentence. Frustrated, he continued mumbling loudly, determined to make some kind of noise. At some point, that idiot _had _to realise he was there…

* * *

The orphan opened his eyes gradually, only to close them again shortly afterwards. The intense light was hurting his eyes and he grimaced. He realised he was in lying in his bed at the inn. Naruto couldn't remember how he had got there. In fact, the last thing that he remembered was that he had been running away, in the dark… He closed his eyes as the memories from the previous night started settling in.

_'The secrets that are kept away from him could eventually destroy him!'_

_'Naruto is not an average kid. He could unintentionally be extremely dangerous…'_

_'It's the nine-tailed fox, isn't it? This boy is somehow related to the fox.'_

The boy covered his face with his pillow, wanting to forget everything that he had heard Jiraiya and his sensei say a few hours ago.

Just then, he heard the strange noises coming from downstairs. Surprised, he remained completely still for a couple of seconds. Before long, those noises turned into screams.

'NARUTO! NARUTO ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME? I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!'

The village boy couldn't believe his ears. Was this even possible?

'YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE LIKE THIS YOU ASS-'

Yes. That had definitely been the Prince just now. Naruto couldn't believe that Sasuke had actually bothered to come and look for him. The bastard. Why did he do such weird things? Hurriedly, the orphan squiggled out of bed, opened the door of his room and ran downstairs, not even sure of how he would confront his guardian and his rival at the same time.

* * *

Sasuke stopped moving as soon as he heard a pair of footsteps coming down the stairs. Shortly afterwards, Naruto's figure appeared at the top of the last staircase. The Prince sighed in relief. _'At last'_ he thought, letting go of his arms.

The old man spoke first. 'Naruto' he said, kindly 'go back to your bed, you're not feeling well.'

Naruto couldn't ignore the purple shadows underneath the geezer's eyes. He sighed. How on Earth had things got so out of control? He had to settle things down once and for all.

'No Jiraiya, I'm sorry.' The orphan declared, apologetically, 'I have to speak to Sasuke right now. I owe him an explanation.'

'Hell yeah you do!' the young prince exclaimed, taking advantage of the fact that the old innkeeper was no longer covering his mouth.

Jiraiya groaned and let go of the black haired boy, who looked at him fiercely as he did so.

'I suppose' the old geezer said, facing Sasuke 'you are Kakashi's _other _student then'

The Prince grunted and avoided the old man's gaze. 'Yes' was his only reply.

'Indeed.' The old man now seemed slightly amused. 'Naruto boy, I don't know _how _you do it.' Naruto furrowed his eyebrows, confused. Jiraiya continued: 'I let you out of the house one morning and two days later the _Imperial Prince_ himself is standing right at the entrance of my humble establishment. Just incredible.'

Naruto's eyes widened. How had the perverted geezer known? Sasuke's remark interrupted his thoughts.

'Sssh! Are you crazy you stupid geezer?' The Prince whispered. 'Do you want everyone to find out?'

Jiraiya chuckled. 'Don't worry boy, nobody would believe you were the Prince even if you swore it on your life!' He then lowered his voice and whispered: 'The only reason I could tell you were the Imperial Prince is because you look so much like your bloody father it's scary!'

The young Uchiha stared at the innkeeper in amazement. Had this man really met his father? That was impossible. Or was it?

'Well, anyways, I think Sasuke came here to talk to me about something, didn't you Sasuke?' Naruto was keen to listen to what the Prince had to say to him.

Sasuke turned around to face the blond haired boy. For a brief moment, he had forgotten why he had been so angry at him. However, his bitter feelings came back as soon as he heard the voice of the orphan.

'You!' The Uchiha exclaimed, squinting his eyes. 'Do you think you can just decide to drop out from one day to another? What the hell is wrong with you, you dobe!? This hasn't even started yet!'

Naruto gasped. So this was what the Prince had come to tell him? Kakashi must have told him that he would never be training with them again.

'Wait, Sasuke, let me explain…' Naruto tried to calm his rival down.

'No, you let me speak first!' Sasuke was not in the mood for excuses. 'You told me that your dream was to become a great samurai like your father, right?'

Naruto nodded silently. This was a side of Sasuke that he had never seen before. Angry Sasuke. He smiled.

'What's so funny you dobe?' Sasuke closed his eyes and lowered his head. His long dark hair covered his face. The Prince didn't speak for a few seconds. After a while, he lifted his head again, and speaking quietly, he added: 'I thought…well, the other day, I'd thought I'd felt it… when out swords contacted.'

The village boy stared at the young prince in amazement. So he had felt his energy too, at that moment?

'I felt it you now?' Sasuke continued. 'That's why you better have a good excuse for not showing up today! Or is it, that you are one of those people who never mean what they say!'

Naruto didn't answer immediately. He was overwhelmed by Sasuke's harsh words. The truth is, the orphan felt very guilty. After all, he had somehow forgotten that the Prince also had very important objectives which he needed to accomplish. Becoming stronger through training was therefore essential for Sasuke too. Naruto needed to tell the Uchiha that he would not let him down anymore.

'Sasuke.' The village boy walked towards the black haired boy in silence. When he was just a few centimetres away from the young prince, the orphan stretched his right arm, gently placing his hand on top of his rival's shoulder.

'Sasuke' Naruto repeated. His voice was both assertive and calm. 'I promise. I never go back on my word.'

The Prince scrutinised the blond haired boy's eyes and saw nothing but determination in them. He relaxed. He had still, however, received no explanation for what had happened that morning.

'So, Naruto, if you're claiming that you _never_ go back on your word', the pale faced boy said, shaking the orphan's warm hand off his shoulder, 'why is it that you didn't show up today? Kakashi told me..'

'Ah, to hell with Kakashi!' Naruto interrupted 'The only reason I didn't come was because… I… I had to sort some things with Jiraiya here. That's all.'

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows. Was that true? The Prince supposed Naruto still deserved some of his trust.

'Fine,' the black haired boy declared, finally, 'but this is your absolute last chance with me' he warned. 'After that, you're dead. I promise.'

With this, the young prince left the inn, slamming the entrance door behind him. A few seconds later, Naruto was still staring at the closed door, astonished. What on Earth had just happened? And why had he enjoyed watching Sasuke getting angry? Jiraiya's voice distracted the boy from his thoughts.

'Naruto' the old man declared, talking a deep breath, 'we have to talk.'

The village boy nodded. It was time for him to hear the truth.

* * *

**Glossary: **

***Kinagashi: **informal male style of wearing a kimono, in which neither haori nor hakama are worn.


	6. Tales of a Gutsy Samurai: Part I

Hi guys, Eiko-chan here! First of all, I know its been a while, and I'm really sorry for this :( I just happened to go on a trip to Great Britain and then I kind of lost faith in my story and decided to give myself some time... I promise to upload new chapters more frequently from now on. Anyways, for those of you who are perhaps still mildly interested in my story, here goes the sixth chapter of 'Naruto: Samurai Tales'

Disclaimer: Most characters in this story belong to Masashi Kishimoto, who fortunately allows us to use them as we please in our stories :)

* * *

'We have to talk, Naruto.' The old man had turned to face his protégé, whose gaze was still fixed on the door from which the Imperial Prince had just walked out of the room. The orphan sighed and nodded. He was ready to hear what Jiraiya had to say to him. Ready to hear about a past that had been hidden away from him for so many years…

'I suppose you want to talk privately, old man' the village boy remarked. He watched as the innkeeper put his sandals on and walked towards the door. 'So', he continued 'where will it be then?'

'You'll see when we get there' was the geezer's ambiguous reply.

* * *

Approximately twenty minutes later, the boy and his guardian had arrived at their destination.

'Is this _it?_' Naruto's tone of voice clearly gave his disappointment away. The blond haired boy leaned his arms against his waist and examined the tiny, pitiful-looking squared building that stood in front of him. After a while, he let go of his arms, letting them bang against the sides of his body. 'Meh' he blurted out 'I guess the location isn't really what's important here.' With this, he stretched his right arm, ready to grab the door knob in front of him. However, he was quickly intercepted by the perverted geezer, who immediately got hold of the young boy's arm before his fingertips could even reach the surface of the knob.

'What the hell do you think you are doing?' Jiraiya scolded the boy 'This is not your own house you know? At least knock before you come in!'

Naruto raised his eyebrows in surprise. So somebody actually _did _live in a place like this, right in the middle of nowhere, in this worn out building? Just who on Earth could this person be? Well, he would soon find out. Once again, he stretched his arm towards the door, this time intending to knock before coming in. Nevertheless, the door was opened from within before the boy could even touch the wooden surface of the entrance. Losing his balance, Naruto fell face- first to the ground. Jiraiya sighed, slowly kneeling down and helping the village boy to his feet.

'Sorry for intruding…' The old geezer apologised, looking at the person who was leaning against the door, silent. 'I just thought that now that I'm telling Naruto the truth you might want to listen in too. That way I won't have to repeat myself in the future.'

'Well thought, Jiraiya-sama. Come on in, of course. You too, Naruto.'

The blond haired boy shivered, now clearly recognising the masked man in the entrance. Why was it that this person was always somehow involved in everything that happened to him? Resigned, he entered the house behind the old man. This was going to be interesting, for sure. After all, Kakashi would find out about his past at the same time as him… How would the masked man react? Or, most importantly perhaps, how would he react? Would it be painful? Would it hurt to unbury the past? Anyhow, Naruto thought, there was nothing more painful than not knowing.

Kakashi's house was austere and glum. The walls were plain and grey, and the only furniture was a primitive bed and a desk, which was full, Naruto noticed, of Jiraiya's books. The only source of light was a small window that was located right above the bed.

'I see you've spent a lot of time decorating this… place' Jiraiya's commented sarcastically, as he sat on the edge of his ex-pupil's bed. 'Austere as ever, Kakashi.'

The younger man wasn't bothered by the innkeeper's observation. Instead, he smiled enigmatically, walking across the room and leaning against the wall behind the bed. 'I believe you came here to unveil the past, Jiraiya-sama, and not to criticise my furniture' he remarked.

'Of course, of course' the old man cleared his throat. 'Naruto, would you sit down somewhere. This is going to take a while.'

The orphan shaked his head silently. 'I'd rather stay standing' he replied. By now he was feeling extremely impatient.

'Well' the perverted geezer began, 'I guess our story begins a while ago, with a little boy who had no dreams or ambitions…'

* * *

The young boy sighed as he dragged the heavy suitcases up the stairs. 'It's not _fair_' he mumbled 'stupid geezer and his stupid inn'

'JIRAIYA!' The innkeeper's fierce voice resonated across the entire building 'I don't want to see you lazing around! Hurry up already and come back down to pick up the rest of the luggage!'

'YES I WILL JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!' the boy replied, enraged.

'WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO ME YOU BRAT?' The innkeeper's loud steps could be heard as he approached the staircase.

'NOTHING I'M SORRY' the boy apologised, falsely. _'Just leave me alone already' _he thought to himself.

* * *

'Wait a second perverted geezer!' Naruto interrupted, confused 'I thought you were going to tell me about my parents? Are you going to ramble on about your childhood instead?'

'Ssh Naruto! Let me finish my story! It will all make sense in the end. So SHUT UP!'

Naruto folded his arms and pouted, still not convinced. Regardless, the old hermit continued narrating his tale.

* * *

By the time Jiraiya had finished all of his chores, the moon was already hanging high amongst the stars. Never did the boy have time to do something exciting and different. Exhausted, he jumped and threw himself on top of his bed, furrowing his face within his arms. A dream, that is what the boy needed. An ambition. Something that would make him stronger. If only he would find that something…

Frustrated, the youngster stood up and started walking towards the window. Who was he kidding? He was useless. A good-for-nothing orphan with a boring future ahead of him. Nobody loved him, and he didn't love anybody in return. He was empty.

The boy leaned his face against the window and exhaled, watching as the steam blurred the glass surface. He yawned and thought about going to bed.

And that was when he saw him. A figure, descending the slope on the boy's left. He was definitively approaching the inn. Jiraiya frowned. He estimated it was probably almost ten o'clock. It was weird for clients to come at this hour. The innkeeper would me mad. He wasn't precisely a man who liked surprises. The boy decided he would take care of his guest himself.

As he ran down the stairs, however, the orphan started to have second thoughts about this. After all, what if this person was really dangerous? What if he intended to steal the innkeeper's money? Jiraiya pictured this scene. The innkeeper being threatened with a sword, forced to hand over all of his money. The boy chuckled. _'Would serve him right though' _he thought. On the other hand, if this ever happened, he would certainly be blamed…

The white haired boy stopped at the bottom of the stairs, doubtful. What should he do? Little did he know that his entire future would depend on him opening that door. In the end, the persistent knocks on the door helped the boy to make up his mind. He decided he would never forgive himself if it turned out that he had wasted his only chance to have fun.

Cautiously, the white haired boy leaned his hand on the door knob and pushed forward. On the other side of the entryway, he saw a middle aged man staring at him with kind eyes. The man smiled, deepening the wrinkles around his warm dark eyes.

'Why, I didn't expect the owner of this place to be a kid!' the stranger remarked 'Aren't you a bit too young for the business boy?'

Jiraiya didn't answer. He was too busy examining the katana that the man was carrying tied around his hip. 'Weapons aren't allowed here. House Policy.'

The unidentified man chuckled. 'Oh, it's not as if I'm planning to use it! Not here, anyway…' Jiraiya's eyes widened. Just who the hell was this man?

'Who are you?' the orphan asked abruptly.

The man scratched his beard and chuckled. 'Aren't you the cheeky one boy?' At this, he unfastened his belt and stretched his hand forward, handing the belt and katana over to the young boy in front of him. 'I'll let you keep it until I leave. That way you can be sure that I won't use it, right?'

The white haired boy nodded, catching the heavy weapon with his trembling arms. The strange man read his mind.

'Heavy huh?' he asked the boy, who was still carefully observing the katana in its leather cover. Jiraiya lifted his head and looked at the man straight into his eyes. He frowned.

'You still haven't told me your name' the boy commented, accusingly.

'Oh right, it's true, forgive me' the bearded man excused himself. 'My name' he continued 'is Sarutobi Hiruzen'

_'Sarutobi Hiruzen…' _The boy repeated the name in his head. He had to admit, the name certainly had a ring to it…

'Well?' Sarutobi stood with his arms around his waist, with an inquiring look on his face. 'Aren't you going to tell me yours?'

This caught the orphan by surprise. He hadn't expected the man to be interested in a good-for-nothing brat like himself.

'Jiraiya' he blurted out hurriedly.

'That's it?' Sarutobi enquired.

'Yes'

The bearded man smiled.

* * *

'And what happened after that old geezer?' Naruto approached his guardian and brought his face closer to his, excited. The old man pushed him away with one hand.

'Oh so _now _you want to know what happened, huh? Didn't you say you didn't want to hear about my past? That you wanted me to talk about your parents?' Jiraiya smiled, teasingly.

'I changed my mind okay? It isn't a big deal…' Naruto excused himself.

'Yes, please continue with your story Jiraiya-sama, we're all keen to know what happened next' the masked man stated.

'Woah Kakashi!' Naruto took two steps back, surprised. 'I had almost forgotten you were here!'

Kakashi chuckled, taking his hand to his forehead. 'You know, that was kind of hurtful, Naruto…'

Jiraiya sighed, annoyed. 'Well, are you going to let me finish or not? Because I warn you, I'm not a very patient man…'

'Yes, yes, please continue Ero-sennin! We'll shut up, right Kakashi-sensei?'

'Right, right' the teacher replied.

'Alright. So, as I was saying, that was the day I met Sarutobi-sensei.' Jiraiya closed his eyes and smiled. 'I don't know what that old man saw in me at the time but… the fact is, that he decided to take me with him. Turns out that he was a samurai you know? And a good one too. In fact, Emperor Hashirama himself had summoned him to Palace. Sensei had come from the other side of the country just to advise the Emperor. You see, the geezer was a war strategist. A thinker. The best in the nation. The more you got to know him, however...' Jiraiya smirked 'the stranger that seemed.'

'But hey, Ero-sennin' The blond haired boy interrupted 'how did Sarutobi-sensei convince the innkeeper to let you go? Did he pay him?'

'Pay him?' Jiraiya frowned 'Don't be ridiculous. The old man was broke. Quite frankly, to this day, I still don't know how he convinced that idiot to let me leave… Not that I care that much really… The man was full of surprises.'

'And so, after that he must have taken you to the samurai training centre, right?' Kakashi asked.

'That's right. He did. And by that time I was completely convinced that I wanted to become the greatest samurai that had ever lived. You see, samurai in those days were different, you know? (No offense Kakashi)' The masked man waved his hand in front of him, not affected by his master's comment.

'Everything was different back then' Jiraiya continued. 'Better. Merrier. Growing up, I felt safe and happy. Admittedly, it was mostly because of the old man and how he treated me.' Jiraiya's expression was somehow nostalgic. 'He became almost like a father to me. However, there were other people in my life at the time who also encouraged me to keep going.'

Naruto observed his guardian carefully, scrutinising every single one of his expressions. The village boy was starting to see the old geezer in a completely different light. In fact, he now realised that he wasn't that different from the perverted old man himself.

'In the samurai training centre, I met my team. You see, at the time, samurai were organised into groups of three for training. Each team was then assigned a teacher' Jiraiya explained. 'My team was different in more than one way. Firstly, our teacher was the utterly famous Sarutobi Hiruzen, the war strategist. There was also a girl in our team, which was also very rare… Although to be fair at the time she didn't even look that much like a girl at all considering she was as flat as a table and was very aggressive… This last characteristic hasn't changed much at all…in fact I believe she's worse now.'

Naruto had the feeling that he knew who Jiraiya was talking about. It was still a huge surprise though, to find out that old Tsunade had been a samurai too!

'Yes, Tsunade and I were on the same team. I still remember the first time I saw her…'

* * *

'Ah Sarutobi! Long-time no see my friend!' Emperor Hashirama stood up from his desk and came to welcome his old acquaintance. His bright silver samurai armour was glistening in the sun that was coming through the great windows of his office.

As the two men hugged, Jiraiya stood a few centimetres behind his sensei, watching the scene with his innocent eyes wide open. Never in his life had the child thought that life would provide him with such an opportunity.

Soon enough, the Emperor noticed the presence of the young boy, who was observing the leader with true admiration. The Senju smiled and kneeled down next to the white haired boy.

'Now, Saru, is this a present you bring to me?' the royal asked, still smiling.

'Oh, well, it's something like that. This is Jiraiya. He has become my pupil.'

At this, a feeling of true excitement ran through young Jiraiya's body. Sure enough, he had already accepted that Sarutobi-sensei had accepted him for some reason. Nevertheless, hearing him say 'pupil'… made the boy feel extremely special.

'Your pupil! I see…He must be something special then.' The Emperor commented, as he stood up. 'He kind of reminds me of my granddaughter… They have the same cheeky expression on their faces…'

* * *

'WAIT WHAT?' Naruto couldn't believe his ears. 'Old Tsunade was the Emperor's granddaughter? Are you joking perverted geezer? Then how come she's now an innkeeper in town?'

'SSh Naruto! You impatient brat! It'll all make sense later on. Well, as I was saying, at the time Sarutobi-sensei remarked…'

* * *

'You have a granddaughter already, Hashirama-sama? My, how time flies…'

'Oh well, we haven't seen each other in years, Saru!' The Emperor chuckled 'A lot of things happen in that time. Indeed, now I am a grandfather of a young girl named Tsunade. In fact, I think she would also be a great acquisition, if I might say, even though she does have a strong character…' Senju Hashirama scratched his head nervously.

'Oh well, Jiraiya's quite a character too… I say a strong woman would do him much good!' The bearded sensei looked at his pupil meaningfully.

'Excellent! I'll call her then, so these two can meet.' At this, the Emperor turned around and left through a door located at the back of the office. A few minutes later, he was back with a blond haired girl, whose arms were crossed on top of her chest.

'This, my dear friend, is my granddaughter Tsunade. I entrust her to you.'

The white haired boy and the Emperor's granddaughter looked at each other carefully. The boy observed how the girl had beautiful brown eyes and silky blond hair held in a ponytail. Her lips were tight and her general expression was defiant. She was tense, yet… beautiful. Strong, yet delicate. Jiraiya would never forget this first encounter.

Their first conversation – in which Jiraiya had commented on the size of her almost non-existent breasts, which would, ironically, grow at an incredible rate throughout the following years – hadn't ended precisely well. After that the boy wasn't able to sit down properly for a month.

Regardless, their relationship had somehow relatively prospered after that. The girl had clearly been impressed by the boy's manhood and handsomeness. And intelligence, let's not forget about his intelligence because really, this boy was a true phenomenon in all aspects of life and had all the right qualities for -

* * *

'Ok old geezer cut the crap. If you're going to tell this story, you better tell it right.' Naruto stared at Jiraiya defiantly

The old man sighed. 'Oh alright then! Such spoilsport really... Well, as I was saying…'

* * *

Jiraiya and Tsunade were soon enough joined by Orochimaru, the third team member. This quiet boy was Jiraiya's complete opposite. His expressions were indecipherable and his intentions always unclear. Nevertheless, Sarutobi-sensei had faith in him and his samurai skills were quite frankly astonishing.

At the time, Jiraiya was happy. Sure, he was always rejected by Tsunade and Orochimaru seemed to surpass him in everything he did, but at least he had a reason to continue fighting, a dream to fulfil and people who believed in him.

Years passed, and the group of three developed very distinctive and powerful techniques that had never been seen. They were the Emperor's pride and it seemed like Jiraiya had found stability. Little did they know that things were about to drastically change.

War broke out a few years later, when Sarutobi's pupils were in their early twenties. Emperor Hashirama went to the battlefield with his best warriors, swearing he would protect his nation with his life.

And certainly, this is what happened. The good-willed leader died in the battlefield, right in front of his comrades. After that, things changed drastically, as although the war was won, a new Emperor had to be crowned. Several succession wars broke out. It seemed like stability was something of the past. Jiraiya, who together with the rest of his team had become a very famous samurai, part of the Legendary Samurai Threesome, still had faith. He fought alongside his comrades, hoping that the wars would soon be over.

The prospect of another Senju leader was ruined when Senju Tobirama, Hashirama's younger brother was also killed on the battlefield. Tsunade's lover, Dan, and little brother, Nawaki, were also among the dead. Jiraiya, who had left the city to assist the rural fronts, came back home to face a heart-broken Tsunade and a devastated town. On top of that, his best friend Orochimaru was as distant as ever. Shortly thereafter, he would leave the city to pursue his own ambitious and evil dreams.

For Jiraiya, things couldn't get any worse. Luckily, the war didn't last much longer and afterwards, his teacher Sarutobi, the popular and kind samurai, was chosen by the people to become the country's next Emperor. Nevertheless, Jiraiya's heart was already broken. Too many tragedies had taken place before the young man's eyes, who believed he had failed his only friends. After all, he hadn't protected Tsunade's loved ones, and hadn't stopped his best friend from leaving. Nothing had gone as planned. The Sannin cursed himself for being so naïve.

And so he left the Samurai training centre. In a crazy move, he decided to buy the inn where he had spent the first few years of his childhood, hoping to start a new life. An easier life, where he wouldn't have to face such tragedies, day after day. To sum up, he ran away, from everything and everybody. Locked himself up. Like a coward. And didn't think he would ever pick up a sword again.

But then again, life always surprises you, right? In Jiraiya's case, it took a few years, but when the then ex-samurai was in his thirties, something (or someone) happened that changed everything.

This someone was a boy who was brought to him by a merchantman one morning. The boy was a war orphan – one of the many at the time – and the merchantman argued he had no money with which to feed him. He begged the innkeeper to look after the child, who would definitively die if the he didn't do so.

Jiraiya, who had spent so many years trying to get away from everything, was suddenly scared at the prospect of having to take care of a young boy. Indeed he didn't feel prepared to do so. However, right then he couldn't help but remember the time when Sarutobi-sensei had assumed the responsibility of taking care of him, when he hadn't been forced too. That had definitively changed his life. For the better or for the worse, right then Jiraiya wasn't completely sure. Nevertheless, he knew that for a long time, he had been immensely happy.

So he took the boy. And that changed everything, yet again.

* * *

'Ero-sennin…' Naruto's voice cracked 'Was that boy…' the blond haired boy couldn't speak through the knot in his throat.

'Yes, Naruto, that boy was your father.'


	7. Tales of a Gutsy Samurai: Part II

**Author's Note: **Hi there guys! Eiko chan here again ;) (see, I told you this time I would upload more frequently). So, this is the second part of Jiraiya's tales, in which Minato is introduced. Hope you enjoy it! Reviews are much appreciated ^^

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own the characters in this story. Seriously, stop asking, it's a touchy subject.

* * *

The man huffed and moved about in his seat. They had been like this for hours. Impatiently, he banged his wooden sandal against the floor repeatedly. Nothing. No reaction. The innkeeper rested his head on his right hand and scrutinised the boy's expression.

The child was carefully seated on the chair in front of him, his hands somewhat elegantly placed over his knees, his small feet dangling in the air. His eyes were seemingly examining the floorboards, his blond bangs stroking his cheeks.

The old man noticed how the youngster was skinnier than what he should have been. His cheekbones too pronounced, his hands too bony. It was obvious that he hadn't been eating enough.

'Hey boy.' Finally, the white haired man broke the silence. The blond boy looked up to face him. 'Are you hungry? Shall we go and have something to eat?'

At this, the boy's face brightened up and he smiled. And how that boy smiled. It was the purest demonstration of delight that Jiraiya had ever seen. After that, the war orphan stood up straight and remained silent for a while, his expression now totally serious. Then, with a single rapid movement, he bowed straight down, his body bent at a 90 degree angle.

'Thank you so much for taking care of me. I am deeply thankful', was what he said, his voice solemn.

At the boy's suggestion, that night they went out and had ramen.

* * *

'So my father loved ramen like me? Awesome!' Naruto clutched his right fist in front of him and chuckled. 'Was he like me in any other ways?' he asked, curious. His eyes were glistening with enthusiasm.

Jiraiya brought his left hand to his chin. 'Well…' he commented, thoughtful 'apart from the obvious physical similarities, I'd say there were other things. For example, your passion and motivation.' The perverted geezer sighed. 'Yes, that was certainly something you inherited from him. He was one stubborn child, your father. Just like you.' Naruto sniggered excitedly. 'And that striking smile...' Jiraiya added 'I'd say you've also inherited that from him.'

At this point Kakashi was also reminiscing. 'Yes well…' he noted 'it's true that they had certain things in common. But I'd say Naruto's personality is more like Kushina's…'

Jiraiya nodded. 'Yes, I totally agree. After all, Minato was more the reflexive type. He wasn't at all impulsive. And not to mention most of the time he was pretty quiet…' the old geezer threw a meaningful look at the blond haired boy in front of him. 'And mature' he added.

Naruto looked away from the two older men, rather indignant. Pouting, he snapped 'Ok, yes I get it, we're different in some ways. Now can we please continue with the story? Thanks'

Jiraiya chuckled. 'Ok, so, as months went by, your father and I got to know each other quite well. In fact, I discovered that despite how quiet and shy Minato had initially seemed, he had a very defined personality indeed…'

* * *

Young Minato soon became used to the city life. His kind and charming demeanour meant that he was very popular among the lodgers; especially the females. But the young boy didn't seem to relish that kind of attention. He was very diligent, and did as he was told without complaining. There was a reason for this. Minato had a profound respect for his guardian.

The boy's favourite pastime was to stay up late every night, listening to the stories that the lodgers used to share around the fireplace. These were stories about famous battles and brave samurai. The Legendary Samurai Threesome was mentioned more often than not. And of course within the Threesome Jiraiya was often highlighted. The older men from the rural villages told Minato how Jiraiya the hermit – as he was commonly known – had defended the rural fronts practically all by himself. They told him how he had saved thousands of lives, always putting his own on the line.

Through these stories, Minato grew to respect Jiraiya more than anyone else. The white haired man was his role model. The man who had taken him in when nobody else had wanted to. Because of this, the boy hadn't even asked his guardian why he was no longer a samurai like he'd used to be in his youth. Certainly, Minato had always wanted to know this, but he had never dared to ask. He assumed Jiraiya must have had some very important reason. Regardless, this hadn't changed the perception that the young orphan had of his saviour.

'When I grow up, Jiraiya, I want to be just like you!'

The first time the innkeeper had heard Minato say this, he had grown scared. 'I still have time' the old man had thought, trying to calm himself down. 'Minato is still only a kid.'

Little did he know that something would happen throughout the next few years that would change the course of destiny.

* * *

It all started with a letter that young Minato – now a teenager – had found one morning when sweeping the floors. The missive had apparently been passed under the door of the establishment the previous night. Turns out it wasn't just any old letter. It came from the Imperial Palace itself. And it had been signed by the Emperor in person.

The innkeeper's young protégé couldn't contain his excitement. He held the piece of paper in his hands and analysed the Emperor's signature, tracing it with his fingers over and over again. In the letter, Emperor Sarutobi was summoning Jiraiya to Palace. It said the matter was urgent.

Although hesitant at the beginning, the hermit decided that he couldn't just ignore this petition. After all, Sarutobi had been his sensei for many years. Not to mention he was still the nation's Emperor. The ex-samurai certainly owed him some respect.

And so he and Minato headed towards the Palace the next day…

* * *

'Wait a minute Ero-sennin!' Naruto's voice went up by a few decibels. 'Are you saying you took Mina- I mean, my dad, with you? Why did you do that?'

Jiraiya's expression looked annoyed. He brought his thumb and index finger to the bridge of his nose and remarked: 'I was sort of forced to, you see… Because your father just wouldn't stop begging me and begging me to take him with me. And so in the end…' The old hermit took a deep breath and continued: 'I thought I'd already told you, I'm not a very patient man!'

'Right, right…' Naruto nodded in understanding. 'So, what happened next then?' The blond haired boy just couldn't stay still.

'Well… the next day we arrived in Palace and I was told that the Emperor wished to speak to me privately. Your father was very disappointed, I could tell, but he didn't show it. We were taken to Sarutobi-sensei's office and I told Minato to wait for me at the door. I warned him he should remain quiet, and he swore to me that he would. Afterwards…'

* * *

'It's been a while Jiraiya. I wish you would come to see me more often.' Time had altered Emperor Sarutobi's physical appearance to an extent, but there were certain features that, Jiraiya noticed, hadn't changed. His eyes, for example, were still the same warm, understanding, dark eyes that had looked at young Jiraiya for the first time, so many years ago.

'Yes well, I've been busy' the innkeeper replied, vaguely. He was already starting to get nervous.

'I see…' Sarutobi turned around to face the window at the back of his desk. The same desk where Emperor Hashirama had been sitting the day young Jiraiya was taken to the Palace for the first time. So many things had happened since then, the hermit thought. It seemed like he was no longer the same person.

'Can you imagine why I summoned you here today, Jiraiya?' the Emperor asked enigmatically.

At this, Jiraiya's heart skipped a beat. Of course, he had feared something like this could happen sooner or later, but he had been hoping that the old geezer would change his mind if he decided to disappear for a while. However, the moment had finally arrived, and Jiraiya knew he had to confront it directly.

'Yes, I can imagine' he told his sensei, who now turned to look at his ex-pupil.

'Jiraiya, I want you to become the nation's next emperor.'

* * *

'EMPEROR SARUTOBI ASKED YOU WHAT?' Naruto was absolutely perplexed. He just couldn't believe that Jiraiya – _his _Jiraiya, Jiraiya the perverted geezer – had been selected by the Emperor himself to become his successor.

'I see.' Kakashi butted in. 'There's one thing I don't understand though. What about the Emperor's children? Couldn't they have succeeded their father? Why did _you_ have to be the new Emperor?'

Jiraiya yawned and stretched his arms lazily. After a while, he stated: 'Yes, Sarutobi-sensei _did_ have children. In fact, Asuma, the Emperor's eldest child, was already a small infant by then. But…' the innkeeper leaned back on the bed. 'But' he continued 'Emperor Sarutobi wanted me to be his replacement. He didn't want to wait until Asuma was old enough. I suppose he felt tired, you know? After all, the old geezer had gone through a lot of hardships. He told me…' Jiraiya chuckled 'he told me that the people of this nation loved me. That I was the perfect candidate. And that he had always known that I had what it takes. Nonsense, I told him.'

'So you rejected his offer?' Kakashi asked, cautiously.

Jiraiya didn't reply immediately. Instead, he sat up straight on the bed once again and turned to look at Naruto, who was slightly surprised by this gesture. 'Well' the hermit broke the silence 'I didn't totally reject his offer…'

'What do you mean?' Naruto didn't understand where this was going.

'What I told Sarutobi-sensei…' Jiraiya carried on 'was that I had found a better candidate than myself.'

* * *

'Is that so?' Emperor Sarutobi's tone of voice gave away his surprise. 'I find that hard to believe, but if you say so, Jiraiya…' The leader left his desk and walked across the room to where his ex-pupil was standing. Once he was in front of him, the bearded man stated: 'I want to meet this person.'

At this, Jiraiya smirked. 'Well' he said 'I'm sure something can be arranged' and without any further explanation, he raised his voice and called out: 'Minato! You can come in. The Emperor wants to meet you!'

Amazement invaded Sarutobi's face when from behind the door a young teenage boy emerged. Blond, electric blue eyes, an honest grin. The Emperor sighed and smiled. No matter how much he tried to ignore it, he had the certain feeling that he had lived this before.

* * *

'So? What happened next? You can't just stop there, Ero-sennin!' Naruto waved his hands in the air energetically. 'I want to know how the Emperor reacted!'

'Well, if you want to know, he happened to agree to my proposal' Jiraiya stated proudly.

Naruto frowned. Things weren't usually that simple. 'Are you trying to tell me that the Emperor just blindly agreed to establish my dad as his successor even though he didn't know him at all and that he'd originally wanted you, Ero-sennin, to be his replacement? Ha, I'm sorry old geezer, but I don't believe you' the village boy scoffed.

'Yes, I kind of agree with Naruto, Jiraiya-sama' Kakashi added 'this all sounds a bit too unrealistic to me…'

'Yes well' the innkeeper explained 'maybe it wasn't _that _simple after all. The Emperor _did _want to know something about Minato before accepting.'

'And so what did he do?' Naruto asked, exasperated.

'He asked the boy a question' the hermit replied, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

'What question?' the suspense was killing the young Uzumaki.

'He asked him what he wanted to do with his life' Jiraiya stated.

'And what did my father answer?' By this point, the blond haired boy had kneeled on the floor below his guardian, and was looking at him straight in the eyes.

'He said' Jiraiya started 'Your father said…' The old hermit's voice broke and his eyes were watery. 'Your father said he wanted to be just like me.'

* * *

That answer had seemed to satisfy the Emperor, who had been overwhelmed by the boy's devotion to his guardian and by his love-filled heart. Sarutobi thought to himself _'well, I wanted Jiraiya to be my successor, so perhaps it isn't such a crazy idea to choose a boy who wants to be just like him…'_

Of course, the Emperor established certain conditions. The first one was that the boy had to master bushido; the way of the warrior. The second one was that he could only be named Emperor if he gained the hearts of the people. To both of these things, Minato accepted.

And so Jiraiya and his now pupil left their city so that the latter could become a powerful samurai. Minato couldn't have been more excited. His only thought was that he was now one step closer to becoming a great samurai like his mentor.

And as for Jiraiya… well, he had to admit that the boy's enthusiasm had somehow rubbed off on him. It was true; he had sworn to never pick up a sword again. Nevertheless, seeing Minato like this… life had treated the boy awfully badly until Jiraiya had decided to take care of him. Even so, the boy's optimism was something unique. He firmly believed that a happy world was possible. Moreover, the war orphan didn't see samurai as weapons of war. On the contrary, he saw them as weapons of peace. This was something the innkeeper had forgotten about. Yes, he had forgotten about why he had wanted to become a samurai in the first place, when he'd been a child. He had wanted to become a samurai because of what he had thought they represented: justice, unity and ultimately, love. The sort of love Sarutobi-sensei had given him when he had thought he didn't deserve it. And the sort of love he'd subconsciously given Minato by simply admitting him into his life.

Jiraiya decided he would help Minato pursue his dreams. And by doing so, the hermit knew he would recover his lost faith.

* * *

Naruto had to lean against the wall and control all the emotions that were now overwhelming him. He tried to stabilise his heartbeat by slowly breathing in and out, in and out. Ever since he'd been a small child, he'd been convinced that his father had been a great warrior and, above all, an extraordinary human being. And now, he had the evidence to prove it.

And Jiraiya… the boy had discovered that his guardian was also a phenomenal person. In fact, Naruto realised now, that something really dreadful must have happened in order to make the innkeeper change that much from the man he used to be.

Seeing that the blond haired boy was apparently not going to speak, Kakashi decided to step in. 'And so, Jiraiya-sama…how many years did you two spend training?'

The white haired hermit, who had been carefully analysing his protégé's facial expressions, trying to guess how Naruto was feeling after hearing about his father's past, was distracted from his own thoughts. Startled, he turned to look at the masked man and commented, warily: 'Approximately five years. We returned when Minato was about to turn eighteen. That was what had been agreed.'

'And he was crowned Emperor just after that?' Kakashi inquired.

'Not immediately, no' Jiraiya answered, stretching his feet 'We had to wait until he turned eighteen first. And then we had to wait for the people's response.'

'The people's response?' By then, Naruto seemed to have come out of his trance.

'Yes. There was a General Assembly, and the leaders from every major city were summoned to the Imperial City. The purpose was to decide if they wanted your father to become the new Emperor.' The Sannin raised his head and examined the paint that was peeling off the ceiling as he spoke once again. 'Minato had become a great samurai. He had definitively exceeded all my expectations. He learned every technique at an incredible speed. Not to mention that he even created some very powerful of his one. And of course, it was obvious that the people loved him. A very charismatic fellow, your father was. While we were travelling I made sure to take him all around the nation. He befriended many people, I have to say. Many of them influential. So the Assembly's decision was quite predictable. Minato was elected.'

'And after that?' Naruto raised his eyebrows in expectation.

'Well, obviously, he was crowned Emperor. A huge celebration ensued. The nation rejoiced. Sarutobi-sensei could finally relax. Well, relatively. And then…'

'And then what?' Naruto came closer to his guardian.

'And then he met your mother Naruto.'


End file.
